Darkness Before Dawn
by Grappler Gouf
Summary: When a group of fake imperialists start giving the real imperialists a bad name, Kenshin decides to go and check it out, and digs himself deeper in the hole, then intended...


Disclaimer: I don't own anyone here….Except for Taka and Shinshi!  (You'll find out who they are.)  So don't take them!  Or I'll kill you!  Heh, okay, have fun!

Kenshin Himura had promised never to go into his Battousai state ever again.  He vowed it, ever since he had become a wanderer, and nothing more.  However, he had.  Somehow, he had let his thoughts slip away.  Miss Kaoru would have his head if she ever found out.  That, he was sure of.  He did not like keeping secrets, but now seemed like a very good time.

Seemingly, just the thought of the lady-instructor of the Kamiya Kasshin style, made him go back to his normal state.  However, when he remembered who, and why he was fighting, he returned to his other state.  Nothing would stop him from reducing this opponent of his to a pile of rubble.  Killing seemed like the only thing to do at the time.

What was worse was that the opponent of his was one of Captain Sagara's men.  A member of the Sekihoutai.  Luckily, Sanosuke was not with him.  Lest he had been, Kenshin might have even lashed out at his own friend.  Yahiko was not there either.  Kenshin admired the boy, but didn't want him to get in the way.  Definitely not right now.  Yahiko was brave, and strong, which he knew; he had seen the hidden potential in the boy, but seeing this fight would be something that would probably shatter his view of fighting, not to mention his view of Kenshin, forever.

Kenshin's opponent reared up his double-edged katana.  It was a tricky blade, about the size of a modern short sword.  What was worse, was that he held two of them.  One in each hand.  This allowed him to strike twice; so if the first blow did not hit, then the second surely would.  Unless of course, you had god-like speed.  However, it took Kenshin awhile to realize this, and he was still attempting to come up with a working strategy to counter it.  He wished, just for a split second, that Sanosuke was there.  He was loyal to Kenshin, and vice versa, and the two could always count on each other.  Always.  Now, they were separated.  No doubt, if the others were awake at this lonesome midnight hour, then they were out looking for him.  He was outside of the city, though.  Pretty close to Tokyo, actually.

Kenshin's mind drifted finally back to the battle.  His masked opponent thrust one blade at his neck, which he swiftly dodged.  Landing a few feet behind where he was, he quickly unsheathed his reverse blade sword, and turned it, so that the sharpest end was facing forward.  With his eyes narrowed, he observed for his opponent's next move.  He was waiting for a bend in the joints, a crease in the fabric….anything that could give away his next move.  Then, it finally happened.  He charged towards Kenshin, his eyes blazing with rage, both of his Katana's pointing forward.  Realizing this, Kenshin leaped up into the air, finally breaking the silence.

"Hiten Mitsurugi……!"  He yelled, at the top of his lungs.

He brought the sword down quickly on his opponent's shoulder.  This little trick of his often passed out whomever he performed it on.  Kenshin was about to call out the attack, but he had forced himself to stop, realizing that if he had done so, his opponent would have been able to dodge the blow.  He might have God-like speed, but his opponent was just as fast, if not faster.  Falling to the ground, clutching his shoulder, the man was in a heap.  He was still alive, which was quite unexpected.  Well, to some extent, it was to be expected, seeing as how his opponents' agility matched his own.

"Shinshi…that is my name…" the man on the ground said at once.

Kenshin's narrow eyes and serious glance did not change in any way.  Neither did his stance.  He had his sword positioned at the man…whose name was apparently Shinshi's throat.  He was silent.  Shinshi rose up a gloved hand, grabbed Kenshin's sword, and pushed the blade to the side, regaining a standing position.  Sheathing his double-katana's, he crossed his arms in somewhat disgust.

"Don't think you have won…for you have not.  I had only to step to the side to dodge that attack of yours, Battousai, but I did not.  I saw it coming from a mile away.  You are far too slow."  Shinshi grinned under his mask.  Kenshin obtained a puzzled, confused look, but still remained silent, sheathing his own sword.  He stared at this opponent of his, wishing he could remove the dark mask covering his face.  He wanted to look into the eyes of this merciless killer.  But alas, he could not.  And unless he could win, he would never.

"Surprised?  I know you are.  Don't try to hide it.  It's all too obvious."  Shinshi's eyes suddenly seem to shine with annoyance.  "Well, if you're not going to talk, perhaps I can make things a bit more interesting, by kidnapping one of your pathetic friends!  How about that Kaoru lady?  I hear the two of you are pretty close!"  He was simply trying to spark Kenshin's anger, and maybe even get him to actually speak.

"You will NOT harm Miss Kaoru, or ANY of the others!  If you have a score to settle, then settle it with me!"  Kenshin replied, rather defiantly.

_Well, this is going all too well_...  Shinshi thought amongst himself.  Kenshin, or the Battousai, was actually quite an interesting person.  But, if Shinshi couldn't get what he wanted openly from him, he'd have to take it by force.  And he would, too, being that somewhat cunning, sneaky, stealthy person.  He _was a thief, after all.  And not just that, but he was also trained as a ninja, as well._

Shinshi had threatened before to go after his friends, if Kenshin did not meet him for the fight.  Now, at the moment, Kenshin rather wished Miss Kaoru were there to cheer him on…and to cure him of his weariness.  But she wasn't.  And because of that, he was partially glad.  However, if she had indeed been there, then she would have found out his real objective.

A group of fake imperialists had been formed, and were pretty much causing disturbances everywhere.  Kenshin was out to stop them, but it went deeper then that.  The fake imperialists were trying to take down the real imperialist government, and then they would take command, and start a new era.  Taka, a girl of which he had met not too long ago, had been taken by the group, and was being used as a type of ransom, to get into the imperialist ground.  No one in the group knew the girl; they just grabbed her off the streets, and threatened to kill her if Kenshin did not let them pass.  Finally, Shinshi had stepped forward, and entered into combat with Kenshin.  However, the fight was far from over.  

Shinshi was not the ruler of the group; therefore, he was not the most powerful.  Kenshin winced at the thought of this, for he did not really want to fight anymore, lest one of them be killed.  Although, since he had entered his Battousai state, at the moment, he couldn't care less if his opponent died.  In his mind, he pictured only one thing.  To destroy this group of fake imperialists.  Even if it killed him, he would not let them do such a thing.  An ex-imperialist he was, but true to them, he would forever be.  And nothing would get in his way.  Not now.

"Where is your prisoner?  I wish to have her returned.  Take me instead."  Kenshin said, talking as calmly as possible.

Shinshi laughed, his eyes merrily dancing with amusement.

"Tell you?  What fun would there be in that?  I'd rather you find out for yourself.  Although, I'm not guaranteeing that she will be dead."

Kenshin glared at him.

Shinshi shrugged.  "What, she doesn't mean anything to you, does she?  I mean, you just met her!"  He grinned just then, and rather wickedly, at that.

"I do not want any innocent lives taken in a battle that concerns you and I, only!"

His arms still crossed, Shinshi tapped his foot.  He seriously doubted this girl would mean anything to him.  But, the world can be full of surprises.  And maybe this was one of those times.

"And….She does not mean anything more to me then a friend.  That is all."  Kenshin said at once, half in his Battousai mode, half normal.  Shinshi frowned.

"Are you sure?  All right then, I believe you.  However…..this….Miss Kaoru of yours…..seems rather….fun…."  He replied, grinning once more.  He licked his lips mercifully.  Kenshin narrowed his eyes, not amused, not even a little bit.

"You will not harm her!  No one shall be hurt in this battle, but your fake fools, and I!  No one else!  Now, are we here to fight, or to talk?"  He yelled, anger overcoming his eyes.  Seemingly, his emotions flowed into his sword.

Shinshi laughed, once again.

"Well, you can meet the others….if you wish."  He paused, obtaining a rather wicked smirk.  "..  But you will just end up dieing.  Master will roll you up, and toss you aside, in a blink of an eye.  You think I'm fast?  Think again!"

Kenshin, at that moment, kept all his thoughts to himself.  Deep down inside, he was nervous.  Nervous for the fights to come.  He'd probably end up slaying them all.  And rather mercilessly, too.  But he didn't have a choice.  There was no peaceful solution to this…..or was there?

~*Hey.  My first Kenshin fic.  Hope ya like it!  I'll try to post a new chapter every week, like I do with my other stories!  ^^  The plot will thicken a bit in the next chapter, as well as why this story is classified as 'Romance'.  I won't say anything more!  Don't want to spoil it.  -.^  Oh, and I sort of guessed on the spellings of everything!  So don't yell at me if I spelled something wrong!  ^^'  Anyhoozle, please R&R!*~


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